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Mazda Protege5

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Comments

  • phoenixmp5phoenixmp5 Member Posts: 60
    I had the moon roof squeak develop on mine after a couple of months of ownership. The dealer fixed it successfully the first time and it only took a few extra minutes when I took my car in for it's first oil change. :-)
  • maltbmaltb Member Posts: 3,572
    "this accessories list that shrique mentioned...
    1)is it just a sporty muffler and tail pipe?"

    yes

    "2)the sport springs shown are developed in conjunction with Eibach. are these different from the eibach pro springs available from their website for the pro5?"

    My guess is that they are different spring rates, but I suppose Eibach would be the ones to ask. Mazda doesn't specify their springs for the P5

    "3)do the rest of the stuff fit the pro5 (stabilizers, struts)"

    Stabilizer - yes
    Struts - may be a little diff on the P5 (I wouldn't take the chance)

    "the muffler from mazdastuff is noted as not being able to fit pro5"

    True, the length is diff. That's why I listed the P/N for the P5 muffler a few posts back into yesterday.

    BTW, Mazdastuff.com is just a Mazda dealer that sells factory parts and accessories below MSRP. If something is not listed on their site, give them a call. They can get whatever your local dealer can.
  • elec3elec3 Member Posts: 160
    I just remembered something! The talk about the catalytic converter reminded me of something a friend said and the best part about being where I'm at. I have a friend who drove a big old Ford truck, probably circa 1975, giant V8, gas guzzler supreme, and he absolutely hated catalytic converters. Thought they were the dumbest thing ever. He said that as long as he was upright and driving, he'd never have a cat in his car. He'll keep it around, of course, to reinstall for emissions testing, but won't use it for daily driving.

    I'd have to do the same because my car is registered in the Chicago suburbs, but if I could register it here in southern New Mexico, I'd be golden. The population here is so low that pollution is a non-issue (they still have dumps you can take your trash to, recycling is still in its infancy, ONLY having 15 miles visibility means there's probably a dust storm kicking up, etc.) and they do not require emissions testing. If I wanted to go nuts, I could have the cat removed entirely and just put a straight-thru pipe in it's place. I would not be surprised if that's what a lot of the rice-racers around town here have done to get more power than a little Civic or Cavalier should ever have.

    PS: If anyone is interested, there is a little teeny tiny thing about the Pro5 in the January issue of Playboy. They mention a few cars and one is the Ford Focus. They list a couple options for it, then mention the Pro5 and a few of its options. They point out that the Pro5 is a bit more expensive but is the one they'd take anyway. Me too after seeing the (12 I think) recalls on the Focus.
  • pope411pope411 Member Posts: 2
    what's up kids?

    I am a Subaru WRX owner and have a brother in law with a new P5. Just like i'd like to recieve many WRX-related gifts for Christmas, I thought I'd get him something for his new phat ride. He's not really into doing a lot of labor intensive performance mods, and i only have a budget of $50-$75. So the question is, what would you get for your stock P5 with that much money (and where)? btw, no rice.

    btw, i looked on www.mazdastuff.com and couln't find much in my price range.

    Thanks for your help!
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    I bought an R-Active strut tower brace for my Miata for about that much. It's been so long I can't remember where it was purchased from, but if you ask on Miata.net someone will know.

    You could get him a nice car care kit, with waxes and a chamois, stuff like that.

    A K&N filter is about $40-50, too.

    Just some ideas.

    -juice
  • shriqueshrique Member Posts: 338
    The system that I mentioned is from Racing Beat is a cat-back. I don't have any idea what the one from mazda is.

    Personally I just wish I could afford getting a low restrictive cat. They are just too expensive. A catback at least will give you better performance that hte stock pipe. It may not be much but I'm not willing to spend $400 bucks ona cat alone.
  • fgaydosfgaydos Member Posts: 319
    Sorry, I have been working a lot and could not check back in.
    I did wait till we agreed upon a price, CReports wholesale plus 2%, but, they still undercut me, offer a low price for the trade, then sell it at 4K profit. They want to make their money either coming or going.
    In the meantime, I decided to move and will need the extra money for moving expenses. Still stuck with the ZX3. Ugh!
  • mnkyboymnkyboy Member Posts: 108
    I have been in to the dealer twice already, and have spent a total of 4 hours with them. I am trying to buy a 2002 Protege 5, Vivid Yellow w/moonroof (which they will have to order from the factory). The dealer started at the $800 over MSRP (some stupid fees like paint protectant, carpet/upholstery protection, etc.) I got them down to $16,999, and they haven't budged since. They want to charge me $289 fee for advertising,paperwork,etc etc. that isn't included in the $16,999. One other fee is about $150 bucks, and it is included in the $16,999. I tried to get them to budge with holdback money, since that will be pure profit (like I said earlier, I am ordering it from the factory), but they told me that they cant touch that money, since they have many cars on the lot for over 60 days, which holdback only helps them for 60 days and under. So holdback that is pure profit (like my case) helps them pay for the other cars that dont sell. The only other fees are the $100 or less fee of tax & title. I told them that I got a better quote (the $16,750) from another dealer, but that was over the phone, im not sure if they have a bunch of added fees and stuff. He even told me that if I could get the car for $16,750, I should go to that dealer (they said that it sounded like a great deal). The main reason that I dont want to go to the other dealer, is because its about 6 hours away. They also said that they dont understand why Im trying to get the car for so little, since they are only making about $500 off of the deal. I have 5 main questions:

    1.) Is $16,999 a fair price? I feel that it should be lower.

    2.) How can I get them to budge on the price? I would be satisfied if I can get the car for $16,750.

    3.) Are most dealers this way about holdback? I have read several places that the only time you should bring holdback up is in my case, when you have a special order from the factory.

    4.) Are these fees bogus? It sounds to me like some are, but again, how can I get around this?

    5.) This dealer claims that the salesman get NO COMMISION, and only get paid a salary and customer satifaction bonuses. Has anyone ever heard of a dealer like this before? The dealer is called Royal Mazda, in Metairie, Louisiana. Dealer Link
  • hoytwalshhoytwalsh Member Posts: 2
    Edmunds' TMV for a vivid yellow 2002 Protege5 with moonroof for the Metairie, La. area is $17,055 (includes dest. charge). You definitely should not have to pay any more over this, so you're already getting at least a reasonable deal by Edmunds' standards (NOT counting the doc fee--see below). What I would do is tell the salesman you're real close to making a deal, and that you've got the numbers on how the dealership can make a tidy $500 profit simply by getting this car for you. The base MSRP of the car you want is $16,335. They get a 2% holdback on that, or $326.70. You're right in that they'll get all the holdback on your car, since it won't be sitting on the lot. So for them to realize a $500 profit, you'd add $173.30 to their invoice price (including the moonroof cost and dest. fee), which is $16,311. This totals $16,484.30 before taxes. Tell them the doc fee of $289 is way too much and is almost all markup anyway. Tell them you'll allow $50 for that, which totals $16,534.30 out the door before taxes. They may not go for it, but at least it shows you did your homework and that you do know what they're really making on the deal. This still gives you about $200 left to negotiate with before you hit your limit of $16,750.Once you do hit that limit (remember, include the doc fee), tell them you just can't go any higher and have them call you if they change their mind. You might also throw in you have a mind to go look at the Hyundai Elantra GT, which has 10 more hp and leather seats, among other things, or that you might wait for the new Toyota Matrix or the Pontiac equivalent to come out this coming spring! Have all the numbers written out BEFORE you go back to the dealer. In my experience, the doc fee is negotiable, and I wouldn't let them tell you it isn't. Good luck and let us know how you do. Please note that the above figures for invoice price and base MSRP of the car were taken from Edmunds' new vehicle pricing calculator based on zip code 70001.
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    Do you have another dealer near you? Time to shop one against the other.

    -juice
  • revkarevka Member Posts: 1,750
    Have you tried Edmunds' New PowerShopper? Also, here's an article from Edmunds Advice section that you may find interesting: Blast Fax Car Buying. Good luck. ;-)

    Revka
    Host
    Hatchbacks / Station Wagons / Women's Auto Center Boards
  • moo01moo01 Member Posts: 15
    After a few months of research...and reading thru almost every single posting on this board...my fiance and I have finally made the purchase over the weekend!

    Our P5 is silver w/auto and moonroof. Out the door price $17900. We were able to combine the following incentives: S-plan, grad-discount and 0% for 36 months.

    If anyone in S. Cal is interested in purchasing...I am more than happy to pass on my research results on prices...I found 2 dealerships willing to honor the S-plan, 2 offering $500 over invoice, 1 offering $800 over invoice and 2 standing strong for $2000 markup!

    Two things I noticed about the new car:
    1. I can hear some squeaking from the back of the car, but can't figure out where it's coming from...
    2. I do take the long way home just to spend more time in the car=)
  • mazdafunmazdafun Member Posts: 2,329
    I'm sure you'll be finding lots more interesting routes back home. I do with my '99LX and the P5 is designed to handle better.

    Re: squeaking, look around the privacy cover for the cargo area. Might have to put in some felt tape.
  • p5hikneep5hiknee Member Posts: 10
    The S-Plan is the ONLY way to buy a P5 ... find out if you qualify with your employer, school, etc. If you are a Ford Partner you probably also qualify for the Mazda S-Plan.

    I got mine at about $150 BELOW invoice ... printed right on the card just below the E-plan price (for employees) ... no haggle ... no problem ... and no interest!

    Moo01 - Adding the grad discount on top is a real neat trick!

    One dealer tried to convince me that the S-Plan didn't apply to the P5 since they were "hot".

    In the NJ area I'd recommend Flemington Mazda in a minute.

    I've had two teenagers drool over it "Dude! LOVE your car!"
  • maltbmaltb Member Posts: 3,572
    "One dealer tried to convince me that the S-Plan didn't apply to the P5 since they were "hot"."

    It's up to the dealer if they choose to accept it on any vehicle they have. If they think they can do better, they won't take the S-plan. Can't fault them for being in business to make money right?
  • moo01moo01 Member Posts: 15
    The dealership we bought the car from would only honor the S-plan if we buy the car off their inventory. So we waited 2 weeks for the car to arrive and as soon as it was off the truck, we bought it!

    If the car had arrived 2 weeks earlier, we could have gotten the "no payment for 180 days (expired 11/30/01)" in addition to all the incentives we got...but either way, I think we did well thru the process!

    A dealer quoted me at sticker price last month just called and asked if I am still interested in that same car...he said the car is still "available" and his quote is still "good"!!!
  • audia8qaudia8q Member Posts: 3,138
    My advise on this is to NOT do a factory order on a yellow P5. Either find one in stock somewhere or change colors...Your chances of actually getting one on a factory order is slim. Currently any P5 ordered in yellow will be switched by Mazda to RED!!! This is what came over on the Mazda dealer computer system today (Its allocation week, which means dealers can order cars based upon whats offered by Mazda)
    The reason Mazda isnt building Yellow is due to cost and time. The paint process on the yellow is different from the others and Mazda can paint 4 other color cars in the same time it takes to do one yellow. Hence the reason to not build yellow...
  • maltbmaltb Member Posts: 3,572
    thanks for regurgitating what I said
  • elec3elec3 Member Posts: 160
    I wouldn't bother haggling and fussing over a couple hundred bucks. Sure it's a game and you don't want to get beat, but if you finance $250 over 60 months, that's not even $5 a month. Sometimes it's just not worth the effort and frustration, especially since you seem to have a reasonably good deal already.

    In unrelated news, I went to Subway the other day and had one of the employees open the door for me. He was looking out the window and admiring my silver Pro5. He thought it was the Lexus wagon, and was a bit surprised to learn it was a Mazda.
  • mnkyboymnkyboy Member Posts: 108
    How do you qualify for the S-Plan? moo01?
  • mnkyboymnkyboy Member Posts: 108
    Is it true about the yellow p5? 2 dealers told me that they could order the yellow for me, and it would take 6-8 weeks. Has anyone ever dealt with www.carsdirect.com ? They give me a quote for $17,198 for a yellow p5 with moonroof. This is better than the quote I recieved from the dealer, since it doesnt contain any bogus fees. Comments please...
  • cayennered1cayennered1 Member Posts: 193
    I'm considering the P5 as my next vehicle (lease expires in Nov. 2002) but am concerned about the ride quality. Many posters have commented that it is fairly harsh.

    I live in Michigan and to be charitable the roads here are mostly terrible. I drive a Mitsubishi Galant V6 with performance tires and the ride is pretty harsh. I can live with it but frankly don't want much more brain rattling of my elderly carcass (I'm 57).

    Does anyone who owns a P5 live in Michigan? I'd appreciate any comments from them on their perception of the ride of the vehicle in this area. Sure wish I lived down south or out west where roads are much smoother as a rule. I don't think this would be much of an issue if that were the case.
  • audia8qaudia8q Member Posts: 3,138
    Believe what you want...when a consumer suffers from a case of "gotta have's" they often believe in anything....

    but the notice sent down with the allocation (which is for Feb. production) info this week stated clearly that all yellow P5 orders will be switched to red....so unless it's an already scheduled incoming unit..6-8 weeks is a fantasy.

    rich
  • mazdafunmazdafun Member Posts: 2,329
    What is the sidewall height on your Galant?

    The tires on the P5 are 195/50R16, so the sidewall height is 195*50/100 = 97.5mm = 3.84in.
  • SporinSporin Member Posts: 1,066
    I'm betting that my north/central Vermont roads are just as bad as Michigan's roads and the ride is definately liveable.

    It's firm, but rarely jarring.
  • moo01moo01 Member Posts: 15
    The company I work for offers the Ford partnership deal to all employees...
  • moo01moo01 Member Posts: 15
    Where in the US are you? The dealership (in S. Cal) I bought mine from has a yellow P5 on the lot as of Saturday. The car comes with polished wheels, floor mats, and moonroof (There were a few more options on the sticker but I can't remember...) They also quoted $500 over invoice before I found out about the S-plan...
  • mnkyboymnkyboy Member Posts: 108
    Has anyone ever purchased, or know someone who has purchased a car from www.carsdirect.com ? Are they reliable? do they have hidden fees? The price they gave me is pretty good, considering not having to deal with some stupid salesman/fees/etc.
  • mnkyboymnkyboy Member Posts: 108
    Is the 6-disk cd changer any good? The only yellow that I can find has one, and im not sure if I want to spend the extra money for this. Is it decent? Does it pay cdrs/cdrws? Problems with skippping??
  • shriqueshrique Member Posts: 338
    Locates already existing cars from dealerships and sells them to you. It's possible that they could locate a Yellow one but the longer you delay the less likely it is that they will be able to find one.
  • vocusvocus Member Posts: 7,777
    If it's the same as the CD player that comes in the Protege (which I think it is) it does play CDRs. Don't know about CDRWs though, never tried in my 2001 Protege. I do know if you turn it up too loud, you will blow the head unit and have to replace the radio. That happend to me twice! :(
  • revkarevka Member Posts: 1,750
    You may want to check out this new Carsdirect.com discussion on our Smart Shopper board. You'll also find some direct links to several archived carsdirect discussions there.

    Also, have you had a chance to check out Edmunds' New vehicle PowerShopper. Good luck.

    Revka
    Host
    Hatchbacks / Station Wagons / Women's Auto Center Boards
  • maltbmaltb Member Posts: 3,572
    what kind of crap were you listening to?
  • vocusvocus Member Posts: 7,777
    I had the radio turned up almost all the way. It was in the warm summertime, back in July with the sunroof and windows open, cruising on the highway. Usually listen to top 40 music. The sound would get really muffled, then it would completely stop. I had the radio replaced once, and traded the car before it happend the second time.
  • maltbmaltb Member Posts: 3,572
  • revkarevka Member Posts: 1,750
    Next time don't forget the <g>. ;-)


    Revka
    Host
    Hatchbacks / Station Wagons / Women's Auto Center Boards

  • elec3elec3 Member Posts: 160
    The ride is firm but not brutal. I agree, the roads in Michigan were...ahem "not so good" the last time I was there. Here in southern New Mexico, the roads do not get repaved very often because it never snows (which means no road salt or sand) and the entire state has a lot of roads which are paid for by the taxes of only 1.5 million people. To be honest, the Protege5 tends to "walk" over really rough and broken roads at low speeds (think 25 and under). By this I mean you can feel all four corners stepping over bumps and into potholes. At higher speeds the ride is much smoother. You will get used to the ride but will also think other cars you ride in are very softly sprung. The Protege5 is no Cadillac :)

    I only have the single disc player in my Pro5 but it's the same unit as the changer. The only difference is a load button and a disc tray within the player. It plays just about every CD-R I've thrown at it (it has a little trouble with some black CD-Rs I have but they work). CD-RWs work but not all the time. They often don't read on the first (or second through fifth) tries. You may have better luck but I wouldn't depend on this feature. My mother's Tribute has the 6 disc changer and it's a very handy thing. I didn't like that load and disc-switch times were a bit slow but otherwise it's a lot more convenient than having a 10 disc in the trunk that you can't get to.
  • maltbmaltb Member Posts: 3,572
    but Paul should know me better than that. I haven't uttered a serious word since I got here 9 months ago.
  • samsvocsamsvoc Member Posts: 10
    The Truckers are winning the war and I need to protect my hood (nose) from stone chips. Is anyone using a half/full bra or bug defector to protect their hood? The Stealer quoted me $210CAN for the full bra and $70 for the bug deflector. I only need the half bra but can't seem to find one in the area (Toronto). Does a bug deflector do a good job of protecting the hood? Does it make a mess of your windshield? Which choice would retain the sporty looks of the Pro5?Many Thanks.
  • mnkyboymnkyboy Member Posts: 108
    http://www.protege5online.com/For_Sale_Page/Magnetic_Bra/magnetic_bra.html


    http://www.magnetbra.com/


    Check those links out, it sounds pretty interesting, has anyone used one of these before?

  • p5hikneep5hiknee Member Posts: 10
    Just got my PR5 last week and I notice a subtle whirring sound that starts at about 40 mph ... sounds like tire noise maybe ... don't think it is wind noise in the roof rack at that speed ... is this "normal" for Proteges? ...or for the 16" Dunlops?

    Thanks.
  • revkarevka Member Posts: 1,750
    Not sure if it's related, but I've seen a number of messages about tires in our Mazda Protege5 problems & solutions discussion that you may want to check out. For more feedback, you may also want to copy/paste your post into that discussion. Good luck.

    Revka
    Host
    Hatchbacks / Station Wagons / Women's Auto Center Boards
  • shriqueshrique Member Posts: 338
    I was wondering about this product that I found not oo long ago. I saw it on a car a few years ago and you couldn't hardly tell it was there. Has anyone ever used it? It's called Scotchcal from 3m.


    Product Info PDF file:

    http://multimedia.mmm.com/mws/mediawebserver.dyn?IIIIIIrP0UXIbl3Ivl3IIINn1sLhhhhG-

    Precut sheets for Mazda headlights:

    http://www.bodygard.cc/headlight/mazda.htm


    Precut sheets for Mazda front ends

    http://www.chipguard.com/us_ret_mazda.htm

  • mazdafunmazdafun Member Posts: 2,329
    3M product. .080in thick clear urethane with adhesive for the headlamps. I have them on my '98.

    The body-protection film is 0.040in thick. If they're applied well (aligned properly, minimized bubbles, which will eventually outgas through the film, applied in temperate weather etc.), you'll barely notice it from a few feet away.

    The only problem I've noticed is that dirt accumulates around the edges, and just under the edges. I haven't noticed any discoloration of the film. I've had them on my headlamps since early spring 1999.
  • mnkyboymnkyboy Member Posts: 108
    Yellow MP5s are very hard to come by in Louisiana. I found one thru autobytel.com The dealer quoted me $17,600. It includes: moonroof, floormats, wheel locks, 6-disc changer, and a alarm system. The invoice on edmunds.com is $16,995 and the MSRP is $18,3.. So, I think this is a good deal, but can someone backup my claim. Any info will be appreciated, thanks. :)
  • SporinSporin Member Posts: 1,066
    On a hot car, in the hardest to find color, with a tiny mark-up of less then a grand between invoice and sticker.... how could $600 over invoice be construed as questionable???

    Buy it. Make sure they don't add on any other bogus charges, and drive it home. :-)
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    Fitzmall.com has only one in yellow for the same exact price ($600 over invoice), but it's an auto.

    I say go for it, it's a gorgeous yellow, which I've seen in person.

    -juice
  • estoesto Member Posts: 136
    I'm in Portland Oregon; I just drove by a Mazda dealership on the way to work and
    saw 4 yellow P5s on their lot. Guess they're not too much in demand here....

    Erik
  • dsm6dsm6 Member Posts: 813
    There's one at Longmont Mazda, in Longmont Colorado. As far as I can tell, it has been there for a few months. Either that, or this dealer has gotten more than one yellow P5 in quick succession. Actually, come to think of it, is seems this dealer has had a number of P5s sitting there for a few months. Same goes for Spradley-Barr in Fort Collins who has had two silver and a white P5 out on the lot for probably close to 3 months - that is, if they're the same silver and white, automatic P5's the whole time. If it so at either place, someone in the Colorado front range area might be able to get a good deal on one of them, including maybe the yellow.
  • bluong1bluong1 Member Posts: 1,927
    Ship those yellow P5s in Portland down here, we'll buy them!

    Bruno, from Houston.
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